In uncomplicated cases, few or no symptoms may occur and no treatment may be required.

How is toxoplasmosis contracted?

Toxoplasmosis is usually caught from cats – the only animal in which the parasite can mature and sexually reproduce. The parasite lives in the cat's bowel and its eggs are discharged with the cat's faeces. They mature and become infectious after approximately one day and can be contagious for several months. Humans and many kinds of animals are in danger of being infected. After the parasite has entered the body, it's absorbed by the bowel and the organism is carried through the blood. The parasites are finally encapsulated in tissues as so-called tissue cysts. Dormant cysts may become activated and cause illness in the host when they become immunocompromised.

Failing to wash one's hands after handling cat litter may cause an infection.

The incubation period – the period from the time of infection to the outbreak of the illness – is unknown.

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What are the signs of toxoplasmosis?

Signs of toxoplasmosis can be a slight temperature on its own or accompanied by a sore throat with swollen lymph nodes, usually felt in the neck and under the armpits, headache, muscular pains and a feeling of exhaustion.

In approximately 80 to 90 per cent of cases, the infection occurs without any symptoms.

Good advice

Pregnant women who have not had the disease, or who do not know if they have been infected or not, can take several precautions to minimise the risk of infection.

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Wash hands after contact with raw meat and vegetables. Make sure that you wash properly any utensils used in their preparation.

Wash hands after gardening. Don't forget your gardening gloves!

Do not eat meat that has not been heated. Cook the meat until it's well-done or boil it.

Ask someone else to empty and clean the cat tray. If this is done every day, the parasites will not have the time to mature and become infectious. It's also important to wear gloves.

Pregnant women who have a cat are not more likely to be infected than women who do not have one.

How does the doctor make the diagnosis?

When toxoplasmosis is suspected, a blood sample is taken for an analysis of the specific antibody. With this sample, it can be decided whether a person has had toxoplasmosis and if the infection is in the body at the time of examination.

If a pregnant woman is infected with the disease, an amniocentesis will decide whether the foetus is infected too.

All parents will be offered an examination of their newborn baby for inborn toxoplasmosis. This is done through a blood sample from the heel, the same sample that will determine whether the baby has phenylketonuria or an underactive thyroid gland.

What about the future?

The illness is usually harmless. In rare instances, however, complications might occur, such as encephalitis (inflammation of the brain), myocarditis (inflammation of the heart) or retinitis (inflammation of the retina).

When infected, the body creates antibodies against the parasite and immunity is created against another infection. If a pregnant woman is infected with toxoplasmosis, the infection may be transferred to the foetus. The risk of this is approximately 20 per cent.

If the infection of the foetus takes place in the first half of the pregnancy, serious complications – such as brain damage – may occur. If the infection takes place later in the pregnancy, the baby is usually born without specific symptoms, except in some rare cases where scars can be observed in the retina. As they are born with the infection, it might flare up later, for instance as retinitis. A relapse can to a large extent be prevented through early medical treatment.

The materials in this web site are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor. The web site does not have answers to all problems. Answers to specific problems may not apply to everyone. If you notice medical symptoms or feel ill, you should consult your doctor - for further information see our Terms and conditions.

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